Ts'ehlanyane National Park
Encyclopedia
The Ts'ehlanyane National Park is Lesotho's Largest National Park and is located in the Maloti Mountains
in Botha-Bothe District, Lesotho
, and is part of the larger Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area
. This Lesotho Northern Park protects a beautiful high-altitude, 5600-hectare patch of rugged wilderness, including one of Lesotho’s only stands of indigenous forest with a number of rare undergrowth plants that are unique to this woodland habitat.
. This audit covers 22 km from the source at Katse Dam
to the Ash River outfall near Clarens, Free State
.
) trees of significant size are preserved.
The Park has an altitude ranging from 1940m to 3112 metres and is considered mostly sub-alpine. The diversity of habitat types is exceptionally high and derived from the large altitudinal range that the park has.
. The reserve also encompasses a reasonable proportion of very rare mountain “fynbos
” that do not occur anywhere else in the world. Also recorded are in excess of 220 flowing plant species.
Maloti Mountains
The Maloti Mountains , are a mountain range found in the highlands of Lesotho and named the Drakensberg in South Africa. They form a high alpine basalt plateau up to 3400m in height. The highest point is Thabana Ntlenyana 3482m in the north-east...
in Botha-Bothe District, Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
, and is part of the larger Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area
Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area
Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area was established on 11 June 2001 by linking the Sehlabathebe National Park in the Kingdom of Lesotho and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The total park will be: 16.226 Km² large. This 300 km long Peace park covers...
. This Lesotho Northern Park protects a beautiful high-altitude, 5600-hectare patch of rugged wilderness, including one of Lesotho’s only stands of indigenous forest with a number of rare undergrowth plants that are unique to this woodland habitat.
History
This proclaimed protected pristine area lies at the junction of the Ts’ehlanyane and the Holomo rivers. It owes its origin to the access road to the "Mamohale tunnel" (May 1991), which was the first adit drive for the Lesotho Highlands Water ProjectLesotho Highlands Water Project
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is an ongoing water supply project with a hydropower component, developed in partnership between the governments of Lesotho and South Africa. It comprises a system of several large dams and tunnels throughout Lesotho and South Africa. In Lesotho, it involves the...
. This audit covers 22 km from the source at Katse Dam
Katse Dam
The Katse Dam, a concrete arch dam on the Malibamat'so River in Lesotho, is Africa's second largest dam....
to the Ash River outfall near Clarens, Free State
Clarens, Free State
Clarens is a small town situated in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the Free State province of South Africa and nicknamed the "Jewel of the Eastern Free State"...
.
Terrain
This Lesotho Northern Park protects a beautiful high-altitude, 5600-hectare patch of rugged wilderness, including one of Lesotho’s only stands of indigenous forest with a number of rare undergrowth plants that are unique to this woodland habitat. Here indigenous “Ouhout” (LeucosideaLeucosidea
Leucosidea sericea, commonly known as Ouhout in Afrikaans, is a species of evergreen tree or large shrub native to the Afromontane regions of Southern Africa. It is the sole species in the genus Leucosidea...
) trees of significant size are preserved.
The Park has an altitude ranging from 1940m to 3112 metres and is considered mostly sub-alpine. The diversity of habitat types is exceptionally high and derived from the large altitudinal range that the park has.
Flora and fauna
On the banks of the rivers and streams are stands of berg bamboo which are of significant cultural significance to the Basotho people. Berg bamboo is the host plant for an endangered butterfly species, the Bamboo Sylph Metisella syrinxMetisella syrinx
The Bamboo Sylph is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is a rare and highly localised species which is only known from the eastern Cape, through southern Lesotho to the extreme south of KwaZulu-Natal....
. The reserve also encompasses a reasonable proportion of very rare mountain “fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
” that do not occur anywhere else in the world. Also recorded are in excess of 220 flowing plant species.
- Birding: Species of interest include the Bearded Vulture, Alpine SwiftAlpine SwiftThe Alpine Swift syn. is a species of Swift. The bird is superficially similar to a large Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes...
, Lanner FalconLanner FalconThe Lanner Falcon is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season.-Description:...
, Ground WoodpeckerGround WoodpeckerThe Ground Woodpecker is one of only three ground-dwelling woodpeckers in the world . It inhabits rather barren, steep, boulder-strewn slopes in relatively cool hilly and mountainous areas of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland and has yet to be recorded outside of Southern Africa...
, Grey-winged Francolin, Malachite SunbirdMalachite SunbirdThe Malachite Sunbird, Nectarinia famosa is a small nectivorous bird found in the southern part of the Southern African region.- Taxonomy :...
, White-necked RavenWhite-necked RavenThe White-necked Raven, Corvus albicollis, is somewhat smaller than the Common Raven or indeed its nearest relative, the Thick-billed Raven C. crassirostris.-Description:...
, Rock Kestrel and Black StorkBlack StorkThe Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork. It is seen in...
. There are also the alpine endemics, such as the Drakensberg SiskinDrakensberg SiskinThe Drakensberg Siskin, Serinus symonsi, is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is an endemic resident breeder in the eastern Cape Province Transkei and western Natal in South Africa, and in Lesotho...
, Mountain PipitMountain PipitThe Mountain Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, possibly Botswana, possibly Democratic Republic of the Congo, possibly Namibia, and possibly Zambia....
, Sentinel Rock-thrushSentinel Rock-thrushThe Sentinel Rock Thrush is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.-References:...
and Drakensberg Rockjumper.
- Fauna: Indigenous mammals include the Sloggett's Vlei RatSloggett's Vlei RatSloggett's Vlei Rat or Ice Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in southern Lesotho and South Africa.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, swamps, and rocky areas....
, Cape Clawless Otter, Black-backed JackalBlack-backed JackalThe black-backed jackal , also known as the silver-backed or red jackal, is a species of jackal which inhabits two areas of the African continent separated by roughly 900 km. One region includes the southern-most tip of the continent, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe...
, Rock Dassie, Smith's Red Rock HareSmith's Red Rock HareSmith's Red Rock Hare is a species of mammal in the Leporidae family. It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.- Description :...
, PorcupinePorcupinePorcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
, CaracalCaracalThe caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...
, Rhebok, Mountain Rhebuck, Common ElandCommon ElandThe common eland , also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is the largest antelope in the African continent...
(Released November 2009), Baboons and ServalServalThe serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
Cat. Keep an eye out for snakes - particularly for the Berg Adder.
- Flora: Lesotho’s national plant is the Spiral Aloe, among other varied and abundant alpine floraAlpine plantAlpine plants are plants that grow in the alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. Alpine plants grow together as a plant community in alpine tundra.-Alpine plant diversity:...
, including over 180 flowering species.
Location
The park is located deep in the northern range of the Maloti Mountains at the foot of the Holomo Pass and only about 45 minutes on tarred road from the South African border post of Caledonspoort (Caledonspoort is 15 minutes drive from the popular Freestate town of Clarens and about 4 hours from O.R Thambo International Airport).Activities
- Numerous hiking and bridle paths have already been established with the park, one of which is a spectacular 39 km trail linking the Ts’ehlanyane National Park with the Bokong Nature ReserveBokong Nature ReserveThe Bokong Nature Reserve is a reserve located in Lesotho. It contains Afro-alpine wetlands at the sources of the Bokong and Lepaqoa rivers, plus montane grassland and patches of heathland boulder beds, both of which are regular haunts for Vaal rhebuck...
. - Photographic opportunities. Not only is the scenery spectacular, but the fauna and flora offer a boundless variety of photographic subjects.
- Basuto ponyBasuto pony- Characteristics :The Basuto is considered a small horse, since it possesses horse-like characteristics, such as an exceptionally long stride. Basutos have a rather heavy head, a long neck and long, straight back, a straight shoulder, and a muscular, sloping croup. They have very tough legs and...
rides offer an Ideal way to explore nature from a higher vantage point. - Swimming in the pristine streams and rock pools
- Small to medium sized game viewing with about 24 species present